Archives for August 2008

Informational Interviews: Just Like the Real Thing

August 18, 2008 by 1 Comment

Job interviews can give you the jitters.

Informational interviews, however, have a lot less riding on them, at least as far as the fate of your employment status goes.

Still, when preparing for an informational interview, you should take just as much care…if not more.

Those who grant informational interviews have a lot less to gain from donating their time to you. Because of this, you should show them the proper level of appreciation, and prepare for your meeting in much the same way you would for a job interview.

I mentioned informational interviews briefly last week, as a means of gathering information about possible career paths. Now, I’m about to go on one myself.

What have I (hopefully) done to prepare?

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Coffee Break: Freelancing At Your 9-to-5

August 15, 2008 by Leave a Comment

coffee break

I remember well my first job out of college. The company had hired me as their first-ever editor (I was more like a glorified word processor) and, once they had me, they weren’t quite sure what to do with me. I was miserable there. The work was mind-numbing, and I was left with large swaths of time in which I had absolutely nothing to do.

So I began writing.

And boy, did I get a lot done, even getting published on MediaBistro with an essay I had written during work hours.

I can’t imagine that this is uncommon.

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Filed Under: balance, productivity Tagged With:

My 5 Favorite Things In: Test-Drive Your Dream Job

August 14, 2008 by 5 Comments

When I first stumbled upon Brian Kurth’s Vocation Vacations website, I thought it was just about the best idea I’d ever seen. As someone with so many interests, she doesn’t know quite what to do with them, the opportunity to go on a vocation vacation and experience an entirely new career for a limited period of time was incredibly attractive.

Of course, vocation vacations sound an awful lot like internships, and you don’t need to pay for the opportunity to intern. Reasonably enough, Kurth agrees that there are other  (free) options for checking out the viability of a new career path, which is where Test-Drive Your Dream Job comes in. After the jump, my five favorite things about this book:

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Marrying for the Money

August 13, 2008 by Leave a Comment

wedding rings.

Both Jezebel and the Freelancers Union recently linked to this New York Times article on people marrying (or divorcing) in order to get health insurance.

As one who is perpetually thankful for her hubby’s fabulous health insurance (it’s simple existence allowed me to follow my freelance dreams), I find this article especially relevant, for me and for all freelancers.

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Filed Under: finances/income Tagged With: , ,

Continuing Education for Freelancers

August 13, 2008 by 3 Comments

Earlier in the week, we discussed how the very act of being prepared can strengthen one’s self-confidence.

Today, I’d like to go over the various forms such preparation can take.

If you’re teetering on the edge of starting up your own freelance business, such steps toward readiness will take your plans from romantic to realistic.

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Product Placement: Pretty Paperclips

August 12, 2008 by Leave a Comment

paper clips.

During my time as a Modern Materialista, I’ve continued to find office products that I may not need, but sorta want anyway.

‘Cause they’re pretty. Or clever. Or shiny. Or sparkly.

I like these paper clips from See Jane Work ($6) because they’re whimsical and colorful, while still being practical. Check out your options after the jump:

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Being a Freelance Superhero

August 11, 2008 by 3 Comments

Just the other day, I wrote on my personal blog about a career move I was considering. One of my readers — neonfoxtongue — commented on the moves she herself was thinking of making, mentioning her worry that she might not be taken seriously in the field because of her…newness. “Maybe this is something you could address on Freelancedom?” she asked.

An excellent idea! (Who needs an editorial calendar when you’ve got such helpful readers?)

All of us, after all — at some point or another — have to go through that intimidating rookie period. When you’re a freelancer, the pressure can be doubly heavy, as one has to constantly self-market, proving oneself anew to each prospective client.

As a newbie, how do you maintain confidence in yourself, and then engender that same confidence in your clients?

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Coffee Break: Becoming Money in the Bank

August 8, 2008 by 4 Comments

coffee break

My husband battled his fears of eventual bankruptcy by supporting my decision to leave my staff job and pursue freelancing full-time. And when I succeeded in bringing in my former staffer income within half a year as a freelancer, I sort of wanted to wiggle my butt and point and scream “In! Your! Face!”

The only thing that kept me from doing so was the knowledge that I still had a lot of debt to manage…debt that I probably should have taken care of before leaving my job.

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Filed Under: finances/income Tagged With: , , ,

My 5 Favorite Things In: The Well-Fed Writer

August 7, 2008 by 1 Comment

well fed writer.

When I first read The Well-Fed Writer, it terrified me. Promising to aid me in gaining “financial self-sufficiency as a freelance writer in six months or less,” author Peter Bowerman then went on to sing the praises of cold calling.

When I was growing up, my parents used to collect magazine clippings of articles with such titles as “What To Do When Your Child Doesn’t Speak.” Since then, the state of things has only improved marginally. I’ve only recently stopped taking anxiety medication, and my shrink still insists that it’s okay to use alcohol as “a social lubricant.”

Perhaps I should pour a nice big glass of pinot noir before ringing up prospective clients…

After the jump, the reasons why I find this book invaluable to any freelancer, despite my abject fear of cold-calling.

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To Be Or Not To Be a Generalist

August 6, 2008 by 1 Comment

My husband once said something he found absolutely hilarious (I found it obnoxious).

It was in response to my complaint that I was always handing out his business cards, but he was never handing out any of mine. “It’s a two-way street,” I insisted.

“Yes, but my side gets more traffic,” he said, smirking.

It’s times like this I worry that I’m too picky about the work I’m willing to do. It’s a worry that many freelancers wrestle with. Should I settle for little or no payment, or a small-name client, just to build my portfolio? Should I take on every little job I can, even if it’s only peripherally related to my specialty, just to keep my head above water? Should I widen my net? Offer additional services? Find additional areas of expertise?

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Filed Under: career path Tagged With: , , , ,
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